Hopper for feeding grain, &amp;c.



- Patented N'ov. 7,1899. J. N. NUTT.

HOPPER FOR FEEDINGI GRAIN, &c.

(Application led Oct. 15, 1898..)

M in (N0 Modal.)

AIo

UNITED STATES PATENT Ormes.

JASPER N. NUTT, OF SIDNEY, OHIO.

HOPPER FOR FEEDING GRAIN, 8C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 636,280, datedNovember '7, 1899. Application filed October 15, 1898. Serial No.693,634. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JASPER N. NUTT, a resident of Sidney, in the countyof Shelby and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Hoppers for Feeding Grain and other Material; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit pertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to feeding-hopper mechanism suitable for grain andother material and applicable to feeding corn on the ear to acorn-Sheller. Its object is to increase the efficiency, certainty, andregularity of action of suchdevces and provide for durability andeconomy of construction.

The invention consists in the'construction herein described and pointedout.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of the improvedgrain-feeder. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is aperspective of a movable hopper. Fig. 4 is an elevation of a detail.

Numeral 1 denotes a frame with a base and upper section convenientlymade of wood and comprising sills or base side pieces connected bycross-pieces 2 and bolts 3. This frame in case of a feeder to acorn-Sheller may conveniently have a length of five feet, a width oftwenty-one or twenty-two inches, and a height of thirteen inches. Therails toward the delivery end of the hopper are preferably placedflatwise or are inclined widthwise to permit the inclined reciprocatinghopper 4 to be situated between the sills, it being desirable to avoidunnecessary height of the frame and hopper.

5 denotes the upper frame-section, whichA constitutes a xed hopper andincloses the upper part of the reciprocating hopper 4and is providedwith a feed-board 6, sliding in ways in posts 7. f Y

The hopper 4, which may be made of cast metal or any suitable material,has in its bottom a series of steps 8, in each of which the treadportion is preferably made wider than the riser and slightly inclinedupward toward its receiving end, whereby the bottom of the hopper as awhole is made with an incline. An angle of about ten degrees has beenfound suitable. The sides 9 of the hopper flare outwardly and haveportions 10 iiared at an angle of about forty-five degrees, and theseare provided with flanges 11, shaped to be parallel with the sides ofthe upper framesection, as indicated. The flanges 11 can be madeseparate of thin metal or other material and secured to the hopper,though it is not essential that they be of separate pieces. The flanges11 are covered by suitable bent strips or guards 12 to prevent finergrain or other material falling over the sides of the reciprocatinghopper 4.

Both the upper edges 11 of the hopper and guard l2 are verticallydisposed, and a space is left between them in a vertical plane to permita slight play of the hopper. The guards'12 are detaohably secured to thehopper to provide for changes in the length of the hopper-supportingposts to be described.

13 denotes four posts adapted to be oscillated about supporting studs orscrews 14, each fixed in the frame-sills and provided with a suitablecap-nut or washer and nut and combined with a collar 15. v

The hopper near its upper portion is provided with studs 14', whereby itis suspended between the posts arranged in pairs toward each end. Thestuds 14 may conveniently be formed with bases and secured to the sillsby screw-bolts 15. The studs 14 can be cast integrally with the hopper;butin this and other details of form, dimensions, and material all knownequivalents are contemplated. The hopper hung on the oscillating postsis reciprocated by means of a crank-shaft 16, having bearings on or inthe sills and provided with a wheel 17 to coperate with a driving chainor belt.

' 18 denotes a rod or bar pivotally connecting the under side of thereciprocating hopper with the crank-shaft. This bar may be made of woodand straps 19 employed to connect it to the bearing-blocks 20.

In operation corn or other material having been charged into the hopperthe shaft 16 is driven, with the effect to reciprocate the movablehopper, which by its gentle inclination and pushing-shoulders 8 feedsforward the material with uniformity and certainty and without anydanger of an accidental discharge of the whole or of any considerablepart of the charge by the slipping of material, as is liable to happenin inclined hoppers otherwise constructed. The rate of feeding can beregulated by changing the speed of the crankshaft or by adjusting theinclination of the feeding-hopper or by both means.

In Fig. 4 are shown at 2l devices for varying the length of theoscillating hopper-supporting posts, whereby the inclination of thehopper can be varied as required by different kinds and conditions ofmaterial.

It will be noted that the lengthwise inclination of the movable hoppercan be made very small and that its elevation above the bot-tom of thebase-frame is small, whereby the height of the whole can be diminished,which is one of the objects of the improvement.

The sills of the base are adapted to rest directly on a floor or on theground, and the side members of the hopper-frame restlength- Wisedirectly upon said sills. By this construction aud also by the fiatwisedisposition of a part of the cross-bars of the base the Whole structureis made of small height to avoid the necessity of lifting the corn orother material as high as heretofore necessary. The stepped constructionin the hopper-bottom also contributes to the same end, since a smallerinclination of said bottom is required. The stepped hopper-bottom hasheretofore been used, but not in the relations herein claimed. Theextension of the sills lengthwise beyond the hopper-frame provides thatthe crank-shaft journal-boxes may be placed immediately on the freeedges of said sills and that the hopper-moving mechanism may thus bemade easy of access and inspection. The construction is one of greatsimplicity and economy and effects the desired results above described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a grain-feeder, the horizontal sills, the superposed frameextending only part of the length of the sills, stepped feeder havingilaring sides, a removable flange and overlying guard for said flaringsides, upright posts at end of frame, feed-regulating slide carried bythe posts, and means for reciprocating t-he hopper.

2. In agrain-feeder, the horizontal sills, the superposed frameextending only part of the length of the sills, stepped feeder havingflaring sides, a removable flange and overlying guard for said iiaringsides, upright posts at end of frame, feed-regulating slide carried bythe posts, means for reciprocating the hopper, and supports 13 pivotedat bottom to sills and at top to hopper.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JASPER N. NUT'l.

Witnesses:

J. E. RUSSELL, W. W. ROBINSON.

